Combined thread tension and lubricating device for sewing-machines



(No Model.)

D. A. MOONEY & J. IRELAND.

COMBINED THREAD TENSION AND LUBRIGATING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES. No. 398,433. Patented Feb. 26, 1889.

at JJ UNITED STATES ATsnT Tries.

DANIEL A. MOONEY AND JAMES IRELAND, OF TROY, NEV YORK.

COMBINED THREAD TENSION AND LUBRlCATlNG DEVlCE FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398383, dated February 26, 1889.

Application filed August 1 37- To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, DANIEL A. MOONEY and J AMES IRELAND, both of the city of Troy, county of Rensselaer, State of New York, have jointly invented new and useful Improvements in a Combined 'lhread-Lubricator and Tension-Vheel Attachment to Sewing- Machines, of which the following a specification.

Our invention relates to an improved at tachment to smving-machines for applying in.- bricant to the thread used therein, and the combination, with such lubricantapplying mechanism, of a tension-wheel constructed to produce an elastic tension on the thread by means of a rubber perimeter arranged upon the tension-wheel over which the thread passes, the object of our invention being to adapt the sewingnnachine for rapid work and to avoid breaking the thread or needle.

\Vc are aware that a tension-wheel having a rubber perimeter around which the thread passes is an old construction, and to which we make no claim apart from its combination with the thread-lubricating mechanism whic] we illustrate and describe herein.

Accompanying this specification to form a part of it there is a sheet of drawings containing two figures illustrating our invention, with the same designation of its parts by lot;- ter-reference used in both of them.

Of the illustrations, Figure l a perspective of a sewing-1nacl1ine arm, needle-arm, needle, and work-plate with our invention applied thereto. Fi 2 is a section taken at right angles to the sewing-machine arm through the needle-arm, but diametrically through the tension-wheel and loi'igitudin'ally through the volute spring and set-screw thereof. This view shows also the lubricating mechanism in longitudinal vertical section, with all the parts in the figure shown in larger proportion than in the other figure to better illustrate them.

' The several parts of the sewing-machine thus illustrated and also those containing our improvement are designated by letter-reference, and the function of the parts 'is described as follows:

The letter A indicates the sewing-machine arm; A the needle-arm; N, the needle; P,

the presser; P the presser-foot; and XV, the

Serial No. 246,917. (No model.)

with the outer face of the said tension-wheel.

The letter J' designates a set-screwarranged to thread onto the outer end of the said pintle or shaft S, adapted to engage with the outer end of the volute spring to regulate the pressure of the spring upon the tension-wheel.

The tension wheel T has a perimetral groove, g, in which there is arranged a rubber ring, R, around and over the outer face of which the thread passes to the needle. The shaft in, is secured to the needle arm A by means ot a screw, on. The function of the setscrew J, and also that of the volute spring V, is the same as in the older devices before described, and the function of the rubber ring R is to produce a tension on the thread,which tension upon the thread is an elastic one.

The letter L designates a tube for containing a lubricating-pencil, I. Theletter S designates a spiral spring arranged within the said tube above the lubricating-pencil, and B a set-screw that is threaded onto the upper end of said tube, and relatively so that when said set-screw is screwed down the spring is forced to engage with the lubricating-peneil and press the lower end of the pencil to en gage with the thread passin to the needle to apply luln'icator to the thread.

The lubricator-tnbe l is shown as arranged over the tension-wheel and attached to the needle-arn1 adjacently at K, and it is made of such size interiorly relatively to the inserted.

lulwicating-pencil as to retain and hold the latter with sufficient grasp to preventcits falling down, but so as to permit the downward movement of the pencil within the tube when so operated by the set-screw and spring. These lubricating pencils are preferably made of parafiine mixed with a small measure of glycerine, although soap maybe used, or parafline without glycerine, if desired, the func tion of the added glyeerine being to make the paraffine more readily adhesive to the thread.

\Vhile we have shown and described. our lubricating mechanism as combined with the tension-wheel having a rubber perimeter, and while the application of the lubricator makes the thread operate better in connection with said rubber-faced tension-wheel, we do not limit our invention of the lubricating mechanism herein shown to its combination with the tension-wheel so constructed.

A tension-wheel thus made with an elastic engagement with the thread being lubricated permits of the running of the sewing-1nachine at a high rate of speed and avoids the contingency of breaking the thread, while the lubricator applied to the thread facilitates the movement of the latter when the machine is running at a high velocity.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a thread-lubricatin g device for sewingmachines, the combination, with a threadtension wheel that is attached to the needlearm thereof, of atube that is also attached to said needle-arm adjacent to said tensionwheel, alubricating-pencil Within said tube, a spring within said tube above said pencil, and a set-screw at the top of said tube con structed to control the downward movement of said pencil to contact with the thread, substantially in the manner as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, with the thread-tension wheel of a sewing-machine which is attached to the needle-arm of the latter and regulated by means of a spring and set-screw arranged on the same shaft as the tension-wheel, of a lubricating-pencil arranged Within a tube that is attached to said needle-arm adjacent to said tension-wheel, said lubricating-pencil being constructed with a spring and setscrew that control the downward movement of said pencil to contact with the thread, substantially in the manner as and for the purposes set forth.

Signed this 5th day of July, 1887, and in the presence of the two witnesseswhose names are hereto Written.

DANIEL A. MOONEY. JAMES IRELAND.

\Vitnesses:

GEO. M. PAYFER, W. E. HAGAN. 

